Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Looking at a Plant

Southeast of London in the distant suburb of Down stands Downe House, the curiously named home of Charles Darwin. Standing In the garden at Downe House, I learned that Darwin used to stoop and look at a flower for minutes on end, ten, fifteen minutes of rapt contemplation. The discovery of this anecdote was vindication for me. In crowded Cambridge, Massachusetts, my postage stamp garden with its sixty-odd plant families lies in the middle of a “village” of several family dwellings. Every time I study my plants someone is watching me, and since I don’t smoke or own a dog or water a lawn this makes me a little weird in the context of our neighbors. Standing in Darwin’s plant-loving shoes, or pretending to do so, somehow makes things a little easier.

Darwinian evolution (and all science) is based on a singular unifying principle: The Naturalistic Philosophy. Simply put, the Naturalistic Philosophy assumes that natural phenomena have natural causes. We can come to understand those causes through asking the right questions and studying nature in an appropriate manner. By “appropriate” I mean that we use our observations of nature as evidence for answering the questions we pose. This proviso simply means that nature is explained by nature, not by religious texts or belief systems. Corollary to the Naturalistic Philosophy is the Mechanistic Theory, which states that living (biological) systems are constrained by physical and chemical conditions. Water, light, nutrients, and temperature are some of the conditions that influence plants, and we’ll address all of them on these pages.

But these pages are for designers, not scientists. When we look at plants, is it impossible to gain understanding without considering the Naturalistic Philosophy and the Mechanistic Theory? Do we have to reduce the plant to an evolutionary machine that eats, breathes, and reproduces? Of course, the answer is no, no more than we reduce humans to their separate parts, their functioning cells, or their molecular components. Plants are perhaps foremost things of great aesthetic beauty. Symmetry and asymmetry, modular growth patterns, rhythms of opening and closing, folding and unfolding, elongating, swaying, shading, creeping and standing; all of these define plants as well as any anatomic feature or molecular interaction. We are here to consider plants as design models. Always, and we want to keep in mind the aesthetic value of plants. Yet it makes sense that we want to understand something about their underlying function, because the evolution of functionality, in concert with beauty, grace, and harmony is the miracle of plants.

Looking at a plant we observe its outer facies, its shape and size, its visual nature, its place in the landscape. We may perceive its aroma, either of flowers or leaves, and perhaps we can hear it whisper in the breeze. But for design inspiration we want to go past “biomorphic” shapes. We don’t necessarily want to design leaf-shaped buildings, flower-shaped parks, or packaging that mimics plant ovaries, which grow into fruits. So in these pages I move beyond the popular concept of “biomimicry.” I assert that plants offer us something else, something much more valuable. Plants are radical living elements, the product of millions of years of evolution in the face of adversity. Plants offer us insights into how to make effective designs that have beauty, simplicity, and function. Beauty, simplicity, and function are wrapped up in the body of the plant. Darwin considered plant diversity--the array of physical patterns in plants--as an “abominable mystery.” Let’s harness that mystery for our own designs as we launch into the study of botany.

11 comments:

I found it funny how you mentioned that as you were observing your flowers; your neighbors were observing you. Humans are curious creatures and we have to observe our surroundings to learn and grow. One observation I have made was with the digital age, people have become less aware of their surrounding because they are preoccupied with earphones attached or walking nose down looking into a smart phone. Nothing wrong with this way of life but I believe the world around you is more interesting then what could be viewed on a small screen.

I definitely find that the imitation of plants in design doesn't, and even shouldn't, stem from their physical appearance. The systems employed by plants for expansion, for longevity, are what we should study and modify to fit human needs. I think we can learn from flora without copying it.

I completely agree with Natalia in that we can learn from flora without copying and we can use the same systems for expansion without mimicking the appearance. But that, I think, is what is most astonishing about plants. They are efficient, functional, expansive and many other amazing things AND they happen to be beautiful. Even when there is nothing or no one there to see or appreciate, a plant will evolve in to a beautiful thing, and not shyly.

As an alternative to designing structures "like" plants, we also design "with" plants. Plants improve our designs far beyond increasing their aesthetic value. Plants can make buildings more energy efficient by providing shade, windbreaks, or insulation. They can keep city streets and parking lots cooler in summer. They can filter stormwater runoff or even gray water. They can provide habitat for wildlife. And they can provide food for that same wildlife or for human consumption. Yes, let's look at plant systems and see how we can apply some of those concepts to fit human needs, but always keeping in mind that human needs, in the long run, must take into account the needs of our immediate, regional, global, and even universal environment. All of existence is interconnected and interdependent.

I really liked how you starting off comparing your situation with studying your plants in the backyard with how Darwin would do the same thing. I think it means that your not the only one. I will even admit that when I am walking someone I find myself looking at flowers and sometimes even stop to really get an even better look. Flowers are beautiful and I think that's why we use them in our designs. The flowers could really help bring a room or a space together.

Personally, I don’t believe 100% in natural philosophy, partly because I think it’s based on inductive reasoning. It’s like saying “all swans we have seen have been white; therefore all swans are white”. It’s still ultimately an observation and as humans, it’s impossible to see from all perspectives and know all exceptions. However, it’s clear the assumption of this theory has led to many great theories and discoveries and I do think that it should still be used as a platform of investigation.

I like how you tied naturalistic philosophy to design. Plants can move beyond just inspiration for a design. They can even be more than an organic/dynamic element to copy as you suggested with a leaf shaped building. Observing, questioning, and hopefully understanding plant growth can help us comprehend how to make “more effective designs with beauty, simplicity, and function”

What an interesting article it really opens up this idea in design of form and function and the simple but complex. As designers this simple form but well thought out internal piece is complex but key for out future. Great Blog!

The idea that "nature is explained by nature" is very interesting to me. I think this is true, but I feel as people (facing our own physical and chemical conditions) we cannot and will not ever be able to accurately explain nature.

Nature is such an interesting concept, and adding that to the construction of plant life gets even more interesting to it all. Nature has been putting plant life through millions of years of tests, forcing it to adapt and evolve, and ultimately alter its own design. Humans have been following this concept for a long time; one of the reasons why humans are the way they are. it is in our nature to evolve, and plants are naturally evolving to keep up with nature, so design will always be evolving. -very interesting blog-

This is very interesting, I agree that plants have more to offer than just the exterior aesthetic. Bio mimicry is a term I've barely heard of but am seeing become more popular. I like learning that plants and flowers have a ton more for us to learn about through careful examination.

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About Me

I communicate science to non-scientists. My interest in the intersection between art and science, which I consider to be closely related practices, is the focus of two essay collections I am working on. As a Harvard PhD I realized that the work we do in the library and laboratory, while worthy in and of itself, does not necessarily translate to normal people. Bridging that gap is my goal in my teaching practice and in these posts. I teach college sophomores at Boston University and I teach in the sustainability program at the Boston Architectural College.